Editorial Review: Formula One racing may pale in comparison to the U.S. popularity of NASCAR, but that doesn't mean that a good F1 game isn't worth your attention. Rather than create a game for the casual racing masses, EA Sports stayed loyal to the hardcore F1 fans with F1 2000, providing more of a simulation than an arcade-style speed burner.

All the tracks from the F1 circuit are here, rendered to perfection, as are all the racing teams. Pre-race options are just astounding with all the standard car setup features, such as differing tires, gear ratios, and suspensions. There is also a telemetry check screen that examines the performance of racers' cars, allowing for optimal changes.

Once players start racing, they may find that cars don't respond as they should, and controlling these beasts can take quite a bit of practice. That means casual players will be spending more time in the grass then they may consider fun. For F1 fans, though, F1 2000 really has it all. --Robb Guido

Pros:
All the tracks and all the race teams

Cons:
Much more of a simulation than an arcade game

GameSpot Review: While Electronic Arts' first F1 racing game isn't the definitive F1 simulation we had hoped for, it certainly is a solid F1 racing title that will certainly please both the casual and die-hard fan of the sport. The game is chock-full of modes and options, ranging from a full season run in which you hope to capture the championship, to a single race for fun, as well as a time trial, and two-player modes. Just about every mode other than the quick start lets you customize all of the rules and settings to your preference. In addition, F1 2000 lets you pick from all of the real drivers, cars, and tracks featured in the actual real-life F1 2000 racing-season schedule. While all these added bells and whistles are certainly nice to have, F1 2000's performance on the track is really what the game is all about. Controlling the vehicles in F1 2000 on the default settings is a lot more stable than the majority of F1 titles for the PlayStation, which is great for beginners. The default settings have an added safety feature called auto braking. This feature lets unskilled drivers attack the tracks aggressively by automatically keeping the speed of the vehicle at an appropriate level so that you never whiz by a 90-degree turn and slam into a wall. While this feature isn't new to F1 racing games, this option, combined with the stable physics of F1 2000, makes playing the game a more pleasurable experience for the novice player. For veterans of the sport, F1 2000 makes it possible to turn off the auto braking, change a staggering number of vehicle settings that change how the vehicle corners, accelerates, decelerates, and just about everything else you could want. The vehicle settings in F1 2000 really do alter how the car handles, and for die-hard fans of the sport this is a big plus. One odd point worth mentioning about the control is that there is an apparent difference in the control responsiveness between the D-pad and analog stick. When you are playing F1 2000 with the D-pad, the vehicles just don't seem to have the turning ability that they do when you're playing with the analog stick. So if you enjoy playing racing games, using the analog stick isn't a problem. However, for the D-pad elite, the difference can be a bit frustrating. The AI of the computer-controlled opponents ranges - some cars never seem to notice as you pass them, while others never want to let you pass. This variety in the AI keeps the game refreshing, since you never know when one of them might risk a black flag to keep you in their rearview mirror. Visually, F1 2000's graphics are decent. The car models used are fairly realistic, and they have all of the appropriate decals and sponsor logos plastered on them. The tracks have been re-created to real-life specs to the point that if you have seen these tracks you'll recognize them. But the best thing about the game's visuals is the steady frame rate. Since a lot of F1 games suffer from slowdown when too many cars appear on the screen at once, it's a nice change to see a game that keeps the speed of the game at a smooth and constant rate. Some simple visual effects such as camera-blurring caused by heat from the track dress the look of the game up a bit, but overall the game looks fair at best. There are five different camera angles, which let you see the action from various points - within the car, behind the car, and even from the nose of the car. In the audio department, F1 2000 does a decent job of re-creating the sounds of the F1 racing experience. The engines roar, the announcer gets all excited when someone makes a move at the end of the race, and the pit crew sounds exasperated when you fall too far behind. All of the sound effects are realistic, and the audio tips from your crew really pull you into the game. There could have been a few more lines for Jim Rosenthal to say, since he hardy says anything - you almost forget about him until the end of the race. Overall, EA Sports' F1 2000 is a solid title. While it isn't the definitive F1 racing game we were hoping for, it certainly plays well, looks decent, and offers more than enough options and racing modes to keep fans of the virtual F1 racing circuit happy for quite some time. In comparison with other F1 titles for the PlayStation, such as Video Systems' F1 World Grand Prix, F1 2000 is a much more enjoyable racing game.--Ryan Mac Donald

Customer Reviews:Great game, January 18, 2002
Reviewer: Glen Bieber from Evansville, IN. USA
This game is so good, I dont care what other people think about it not being the game it was supposed to be, as far as I'm concerned it ranks up there with NASCAR Thunder 2002.
It is a great game.

F1 2000, October 14, 2000
Reviewer: A gamer from Houston, Texas United States
F1 2000 is a great game, but could be MUCH better. Graphics and sound are great. Options make the game interactive (car set up, fuel strategy). Draw backs are, when qualifying if you get pole, no other driver can beat that time, so you don't have to compete for 'P1'. Also, any car that is in front of you always has some mechanical failure within a few laps. Usually an engine failure will remove the car in front, even when you set "failures" and "Damage" to off. This can be very frustrating since little 'racing' actually occures. I called Tech support and they were of no real help.

Too easy, September 22, 2000
Reviewer: Michael E. Person from Fort Wayne, IN USA
Good simulation and graphics but even in the expert mode once you get the lead the race is yours. Not much racing, your car is always the best, even with the worst teams.

On the other hand, the damage model is frighteningly bad. Run you car into a wall at 170 miles per hour, and you get a message which says, "You're wing is bent! Come in and we'll fix it."

I also got annoyed at the fact that even playing on the expert level, this game is hard to lose. Also, almost every time I am running second, the leader blows up in front of me, even with failures turned off!

One other nit to pick: They boast that "Now you can play the 2000 season at the beginning, instead of waiting until the season is over". Only problem is, we don't know how prone to failure a given car is or how well a driver is going to perform until the season IS over.

Final complaint: I went to EASports' website to complain about this, but couldn't find a feedback line or e-mail spot anywhere.

On the whole, I am fairly disappointed with this "greatest racing sim of the year"

GGGRRREEEEAATTT GAME!, May 27, 2000
Reviewer: A gamer from Manchester, England
I love F1 games, but after the abysmal F1'98 I was disheartened trying again. While F1'99 was a good return something still prevented it from being a true F1 game, but now thanks to EA F1 has finally arrived in the playstation pit bringing realism along with it.

Firstly the commentary favoured by other F1 games has been dropped in favour of Pit commentary. By this I mean your pit radioing you all the latest race info, such as approximate leading times, pit windows and the ever important identity of who is in pursuit of your position.

The game engine also seemse more touched up, with the need for getting close the racing line to win, rather than simply going where you please and still winning by a long way!

All this is wrapped up with a great soundtrack provided by Brit rockers Placebo. Great idea!

This is the new F1 racer for the new millenium. Get this game and fasten your seatbelt, you are in for a speedy ride!

Playstation Top, But Future Great!, April 19, 2000
Reviewer: A gamer from USA
I actually purchased a Playstation system because I read that this new game was coming out and that it would have all the teams/tracks of the 2000 season! This is a very strong selling point and the game is well worth purchasing. I had left the game system market a couple years ago after getting into computers very heavy. Eidos game Official Formula 1 Racing for PC is a wonderful game and compared to it Playstation's F1 2000 is a slight dissapointment, but for Playstation standards the game rocks! Even if you are from the PC zone after a few plays you will respect the game. The audio is absolutely sensational and the vibration/analog controls makes it a lot of fun. If you are buying the game solely for "2 player" function then you probably shouldn't. The Playstation can't handle this mode and you crawl around the track. All in all...until Playstation 2's first all-out F1 Game this is sure to lead the pack in game systems!